New DNREC video “Mirror Lake: One year later”finds significant improvement in lake’s health

DOVER (Feb. 11, 2015) – A year after DNREC introduced a first-of-its-kind innovative cleanup plan for Dover’s Mirror Lake, the lake is showing recovery from contaminants and impacted sediment, and rebounding environmentally – as described in a new video about the project on DNREC’s YouTube Channel.

“Mirror Lake: One year later” tells how the project uses activated carbon – the same technology used in many water filters – to bind contaminants in lake sediments, improving the health of the lake. Mirror Lake had been in decline for several decades due to contaminants in bottom sediments.

But an environmental turnaround began with DNREC’s remediation and restoration plan featuring the activated carbon product, SediMite. “We are seeing a 60 percent baseline improvement after the first year, which is significant,” said Dr. Rick Greene of DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship,“and we think we are well on our way to achieving a 70 to 90 percent reduction (of contaminants) within three to five years.”

Over that timeframe, SediMite’s effect is expected to result in the reduction or removal of the fish consumption advisory for Mirror Lake and the St. Jones River downstream to Court Street in Dover. The project marked the largest application of SediMite anywhere in the country to date, and also was the first state-funded sediment remediation project of its kind.